More Tips for Taking Time Off

Managing e-mail and PC devices if you can't be without them.

James A. Martin

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Feature: More Tips for Taking Time Off

In The Godfather, Part III, Al Pacino famously bemoaned that, just as he thought he'd finally left the Mafia behind, "they pull me back in." That same feeling may wash over you when you turn your RIM BlackBerry on at the beach and find an urgent e-mail from a client.

When you're on vacation, do you ever feel like Pacino? If so, read on.

A few weeks back, I offered strategies for disconnecting while you're on vacation ("How to Unplug for a Vacation" and "How to Disconnect for Vacation, Part 2"). Apparently the topic touched a nerve with many readers. For example, Raymond Schklar of Fort Thomas, Kentucky writes: "As a solo practitioner with a home-based office, your article hit right in the gut. My wife has been working with me for months on developing a strategy for taking time off, which I don't do." The tips offered in those columns helped Raymond realize he can be self-employed and take time off, too.

So this week, I've got more tips--from readers as well as from yours truly--on how to take time off. ("Have we really come to this?" you ask. "Articles on how to not be productive?" Unfortunately, the answer is "yes.")

Automated E-Mail Reply: Not Such a Good Idea?

Previously, I suggested setting up an out-of-office e-mail reply to incoming messages while you're away. The automated reply informs others you're away from the office without access to e-mail. Also, the reply should provide the date you'll be returning messages and a contact name for business emergencies.

Automated e-mail replies make sense especially for small-business owners, as an e-mail from a potential client that goes unacknowledged could turn away new work. But there are downsides to this strategy, too, which several readers pointed out.

An automated reply is triggered by every e-mail you receive--including spam. When you respond to unsolicited e-mail, you're in effect validating your address to the spammer. "That further accelerates the amount of spam you receive," writes Neil Astrike of Tampa, Florida. Strong antispam tools can help reduce the impact, of course. Otherwise, you could see a spike in junk e-mail as a result of an automated e-mail reply. To find the best spam blocking software, see "Spam-Proof Your In-Box."

Another concern is that if you have a home-based business, an "away-from-the-office" reply could be an invitation to thieves, writes Jeff Partridge of New Philadelphia, Ohio. If that's a concern, leave out the "away-from-the-office" bit and simply state you don't have access to e-mail right now but will respond as soon as you're able. The ambiguity should give thieves pause, and yet you're still getting the message to clients.

If you're not comfortable with that idea, you have at least two other options:

Don't create an automated response, but check messages every other day or so to make sure you're not missing anything important. The downside: You're eating into your vacation.

Don't set up an automated response, and don't check your e-mail while away, either. The downside: You could anger clients, partners, or others.

Here's another problem with vacation replies: If you participate in an e-mail distribution or discussion list, an automated out-of-office reply could "really annoy the other list members," says Bruce, who declined to give me his last name or city.

"I participate in some aviation-related lists that have many hundreds of participants, and we have this problem frequently," Bruce explains. Each automated vacation reply is sent to "every one of the hundreds of list subscribers." The normal daily traffic of 25 to 50 messages could effectively double because one member's vacation auto reply message is ricocheting around the list.

Solution: Unsubscribe from any e-mail discussion groups before activating an automated vacation message.

Categorize Your Messages

Are you planning to completely ignore my advice and take your notebook on vacation to check e-mail? For naughty readers like you, Lew Phillips of Green Lane, Pennsylvania has some advice. In your e-mail program, set up three priority folders: Urgent, Normal, and Low. When you download messages, drag each e-mail into the appropriate folder. That way, you'll know which messages to reply to first when back at work, Lew says.

I think Lew's idea is good for those whose business (or nature) demands they stay on top of e-mail while vacationing. The problem, though, is that you have to read and make a decision on each e-mail, which takes time away from your vacation. Here's a compromise: Quickly scan the sender names and subject topics of each message; open only those that could be of real urgency or importance; then open the others when you return to work.

Answer Indirectly

Here's another tip from Lew: If a client, partner, or other correspondent sends you an urgent business e-mail or voice mail while you're on vacation, don't respond directly. Instead, contact the person you've designated as your emergency contact--a business partner, coworker, boss, whomever. Ask them to call the person who sent the urgent message "just to check in," Lew advises. The emergency is handled; the client is satisfied; and you've had only minimal disruption to your vacation.

You'll find more tips in the "Notebooks & Accessories" section on the next page. And if you have additional tips on how to disconnect on vacation, please send them to me.

Notebooks & Accessories

Tip: Leave the Laptop, Rent a DVD Player

Do you travel with a notebook just to watch DVDs? If so, leave it at home for three reasons. First, it's a hassle to pack a notebook and its cord and peripherals. Second, getting a notebook through airport security is a pain. Third, you may be tempted to do others things with the notebook--work, for instance.

Instead, take a good paperback to read (remember reading?). Or if you're a hopeless movie buff, consider renting a portable DVD player from InMotion Pictures. You can visit one of its many airport kiosks, or you can arrange to have the player (and DVDs) delivered to you before takeoff and picked up after you return.

Tip: Gotta Have a Notebook? Try an Ultraportable

If you're not convinced you can go on vacation without a notebook, then at least consider packing a fun, lightweight model. For instance, Sony's new ultraportable, Wi-Fi enabled PCG-TR3AP3 weighs only 3.2 pounds and features a built-in digital camera. The camera captures only short video clips and basic 640-by-480-pixel pictures, but it's great fun to use, says PC World reviewer Carla Thornton. Unfortunately, the notebook lacks TV-out, parallel, and serial ports, and Sony offers no docking station or replicator. Also, the price is high, about $3000.

Tip: How to Find a Lost Notebook

Okay, now you've done it. You didn't listen to me, took your notebook on vacation, and promptly lost it.

I won't say I told you so. But I will tell you that you should have registered the notebook's serial number at the Inspice SmartProtec Web site. If you had, the company would have sent you a security sticker, which you could have placed on your notebook (or other device). The sticker would have alerted whoever found your notebook to check the Inspice Web site for owner information. If you'd done all that, you could have been reunited with your notebook. And you'd probably still take it on your next vacation. Oh, the shame of it all.

Gadgets & Services

Tip: Store Contacts on Your IPod

By all means, take your Apple IPod on vacation. And with programs such as IAA's PocketMac IPod Edition (for Windows or Mac), you can also store your Microsoft Outlook data on that slick little tune tote. Keep in mind, though, that the IPod is essentially a dumb device. You can't create or change Outlook contacts, for instance, on Apple's music player.

PocketMac is $23, and you can order it online.

Tip: Cool Cases for Gadgets

Have you packed for that vacation yet? If not, check out WaterField Designs, an online retailer with an appealing variety of hip, practical bags for IPods, IPod accessories, gadgets, and notebooks, too. For example, the Gear Pouch ($18 to $25) is a stylish way to stow cables, adapters, and other clutter. It comes in three sizes and colors.

News: Alabama Airport Offers Free Wi-Fi

In response to my recent articles about Wi-Fi access at major U.S. airports, I received an e-mail from Cindy Maloney, PR manager for the Huntsville (Alabama) International Airport. It turns out that the Huntsville Airport recently installed free Wi-Fi access throughout the terminal, concourse, business center, and lobbies, with some hotspots extending to outside the building, according to Maloney.

"We've hung a banner and put up signs in the concourse" informing travelers of the free access, Maloney adds. The airport's Web site also currently features a notice about Wi-Fi access right on the home page. Given that many major airport Web sites force visitors to dig for sketchy information about Internet access, I'd say Huntsville's way ahead of the game.

For my article on East Coast airport Internet access, read "Web Access at the Airport." For information about West Coast and Midwest airports, read "Airport Web Access, Part II."

Suggestion Box

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